I wonder how much of John McCain's stay at the Hanoi Hilton was due to his guilt about the fire he caused and lives that were lost on account of his
hot dogging stunt? When he turned down his captor's offer of release, was it really because he felt too guilty to face his family and friends? Did
he use his imprisonment as a self emolliating penance for his own sins? Did he feel redeemed and born again when he was welcomed back to the US as a
hero?

If there's a standard, there's a standard. McCain should get the standard.

TheRedneck

This is going to sound heartless, but soldiers lives aren't worth anything. They literally sign up to become disposable.

It doesn't sound heartless, it sounds stupid.

It's not that their lives aren't worth anything, and I challenge you to get before a group of either disabled veterans or veterans in general and
inform them that their lives weren't worth anything. My guess, you'd be lucky to come out alive.

We never enlisted to become disposable nor were we ever disposable. We enlisted to cede a portion of our lives for the greater good and if that
meant we'd die trying then so be it...it was that imperative. No Military establishment can survive effectively by throwing meat shields at combatants
which is what you're inferring. Eventually sheer numbers decline.

This is going to sound heartless, but soldiers lives aren't worth anything. They literally sign up to become disposable.

I agree with alphabetaone above. If one spent years trying to research the single most offensive statement one could possibly place in the fewest
possible words, I doubt the result would top what you just posted.

If there's a standard, there's a standard. McCain should get the standard.

TheRedneck

This is going to sound heartless, but soldiers lives aren't worth anything. They literally sign up to become disposable.

It doesn't sound heartless, it sounds stupid.

It's not that their lives aren't worth anything, and I challenge you to get before a group of either disabled veterans or veterans in general and
inform them that their lives weren't worth anything. My guess, you'd be lucky to come out alive.

We never enlisted to become disposable nor were we ever disposable. We enlisted to cede a portion of our lives for the greater good and if that
meant we'd die trying then so be it...it was that imperative. No Military establishment can survive effectively by throwing meat shields at combatants
which is what you're inferring. Eventually sheer numbers decline.

My advice? Stay in college and keep learning, it'll be a long road.

This is nearly the same scolding Pres Trump got from the left when he told the pregnant grieving widow of a fallen soldier "He knew what he signed up
for".

It's not that their lives aren't worth anything, and I challenge you to get before a group of either disabled veterans or veterans in general and
inform them that their lives weren't worth anything. My guess, you'd be lucky to come out alive.

We never enlisted to become disposable nor were we ever disposable. We enlisted to cede a portion of our lives for the greater good and if that
meant we'd die trying then so be it...it was that imperative. No Military establishment can survive effectively by throwing meat shields at combatants
which is what you're inferring. Eventually sheer numbers decline.

My advice? Stay in college and keep learning, it'll be a long road.

You trade your blood, sweat, health, and possibly life in exchange for US interests, whatever those interests may be at the time. An inch of soil?
That's worth your life. In fact, we might even give away that inch of soil later. Something permanent (your life) is worth something temporary (the
whims of government). Soldiers are currency to be expended to secure those goals.

originally posted by: TheRedneck
I agree with alphabetaone above. If one spent years trying to research the single most offensive statement one could possibly place in the fewest
possible words, I doubt the result would top what you just posted.

Stick to your coding. Reality seems to be difficult for you.

TheRedneck

Kissinger put it better than I could.

"Military men are just dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy."

Individuals might have hopes, dreams, fears, desires, and so on... but on a state level, that is not what they are. They are tools used to secure
ever changing national interests. Nations stand above the petty issues of the people. To a nation, none of what makes a soldier a person matters.
The only thing that matters is that they can die to secure an objective. It is a 100% disposable resource, that is meant to be acquired and expended
before it ages into ineffectiveness.

You trade your blood, sweat, health, and possibly life in exchange for US interests,

No I didn't. I traded my blood, sweat, health protecting the US Constitution and her people. US Interests are transient, US the institution and
Democratic Republic is forever..."if we can keep it".

Believe what you like, but your beliefs are in diametric opposition to the reality out in the field which you have ZERO exposure to and ZERO knowledge
of...you dont have the luxury of attempting to educate someone who has.

Oh? So what did you do to protect the Constitution? I'm not aware of any wars we've fought in the past 100 years where the opposing sides objective
was the overthrow of the US government.

I'm aware of plenty that were waged either for or against us to add or remove influence in foreign nations, but none where the objective was to wipe
out the United States, with the possible exception of WW2 after we had already gotten involved.

Edit: To circle around back to the topic, most soldiers eventually stop being soldiers and become people again. There's nothing wrong with taking
care of former soldiers, in fact it's even a good policy because it encourages future generations to sign up and be soldiers. McCain pushed hard for
taking care of vets and had a lot of success there, but he also understood what it means to be a soldier and that good governance doesn't consider
soldiers lives, only their ability to secure objectives.

McCain was a pretty good politician, like I said earlier in the thread, I didn't like him on everything but I liked him enough to vote for him in 2000
and 2008. I always thought he would have made a great President.

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